31–40 of 140 posts
He actually made it a mains plug pass through (UK version) so that you can use it with a traditional slow cooker for some temperatures etc.
Blog link: http://rfwebb.com/projects/sous-vide-part-2/ Extra pictures (Skip all the PCB ones): http://imgur.com/a/aG1Jp
Edit: source code: https://github.com/bitdivision/sous-vide
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You can use mason jars if you are worried about plastic.
That works for things that perfectly fill a mason jar, but not well otherwise; the giant air pockets are an issue.
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You definitely want to sear though, both before and after (Kenji Alt is wrong about this). For flavor.
I'm dubious about searing it twice; it's something I've never seen mentioned in the reading I've done on slow, temperature-controled cooking. It seems like it would just dry out the edges, making them leathery; however, I'm willing to be educated otherwise in the effort to make a great steak.
The pre-sear is especially important with long cooks, because it kills surface bacteria. The first time you get too much lactobacillus hitching a ride on your short ribs will be the last time you skip out on the pre-sear. (Lacto isn't dangerous; after all, the protein is pasteurized in the bath, but the final product will smell awful).
I'm not sure what you mean by "drying out the edges, making them leathery". I think I can just say "no" on that.
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From the same page a cheap sous-vide hack: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/cook-your-meat-in-a-beer-...
That's good for a 1-hour steak, but I wouldn't do eggs this way (needs more precise temp) or a 72-hour short rib braise (needs stable heat for longer).
Not directly related to the tech, but "sealing in the juices" with a sear is broscience. [1] http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/12/the-food-lab-how-to-cook-...
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You can use mason jars if you are worried about plastic.
That works for things that perfectly fill a mason jar, but not well otherwise; the giant air pockets are an issue.
- It makes the size more manageable in your water bath. - You don't have to worry as much about temperature ramp-up time between outer surface and core of food item. - For delicate proteins, means there's less handling of the item post-cooking.
-Jeff
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This is what is holding me back on getting into sous vide. Any non plastic alternatives?
Are plastics known for breaking down at 134 degrees f?
My smallest stove top burner at its lowest setting gets water up to 117F. The salmon video they had the temp at 109, but I tried it anyway. It turned out amazing - I'd definitely do it again. I also tried steak, but bought a cheap cut, and it turned out really good as well. I turned the burner up to 2.5 which got the water temp to around 135F.
I'm so happy with my results I'm looking at purchasing a real sous-vide heater. Sous-vide definitely has a bright future.
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This is what is holding me back on getting into sous vide. Any non plastic alternatives?
I fully expect plastics labelled with e.g "up to 90 degrees C" to not release anything unwanted into my food if I stay well below that temp. I'd also expect the label to have a wide margin to dangerous temperatures. In theory you can use anything that handles the temperature, such as silicone. You could in theory force your food into a jar with a bit of oil.